when looking for reviews and in fo on the sling I just got I found this video of a full size person getting into the sling.http://youtu.be/OHQbVG2iC8Meta: that means it wouldnt be unreasonable to try putting my 50 lb dog in it!

I got the lovely custom bib that Jewy made for Tofetus onto Carlito, our cat, and managed to get a photo, but he also scratched me and then ran around the house at top speed fighting it tooth and nail, so I've given up trying any more baby stuff on them.

_________________My oven is bigger on the inside, and it produces lots of wibbly wobbly, cake wakey... stuff. - The PoopieB.

Just bought a used Baba sling, which is coming in the mail soon. It got pretty good reviews at www.thebabywearer.com, though I think there were only a few reviews total. Hoping it works well for the first few weeks and then I can supplement with something more "carrier" and less sling. I've been reading about carriers and hip dysplasia too, but it seems hard to determine which of the carriers are okay re: this issue.

Um, so in the past 3 weeks or so we've had a lot more success with Vi in the Ergo. We even took it camping in Shenandoah and were able to complete couple-hour hikes with her sleeping in it, with only a meltdown after an hour or so when I had to stop and feed her (after which she was happy in it again). Look at this not-screaming child!

Yesterday I ordered one of these:

http://www.koalakin.com/ (note that they tack on a lot of tax+shipping so you can find it cheaper on other websites - with a coupon code from retailmenot I was able to shave another 10% of the place I ended up ordering from)

I'd never heard of them before, but it's basically a soft-sided carrier specifically meant for breastfeeding. I haven't had much success at ALL nursing with other carriers, so I'm hopeful about this one. I'm also hoping I can potentially do easier transfers when she falls asleep nursing by unclipping it and dropping the whole thing in her bed. We'll see. I'll try it out and report back!

That is very cool, annak! We have retired the peanut shell! Grey is only 15 pounds, but over 25 inches long now and he was getting super squished in it. We are using the sleepy wrap and I purchased a bjorn, which he is loving.he loves being front facing and every time we are out people keep telling me what a great smile he has, so I assume he is just grinning all the time now!

Just bought a used Baba sling, which is coming in the mail soon. It got pretty good reviews at http://www.thebabywearer.com, though I think there were only a few reviews total. Hoping it works well for the first few weeks and then I can supplement with something more "carrier" and less sling. I've been reading about carriers and hip dysplasia too, but it seems hard to determine which of the carriers are okay re: this issue.

this article explains things really well... http://continuum-concept.org/reading/spinalStress.html but as a general rule of thumb, carriers where the baby basically is supported at the crotch with legs dangling -like a baby bjorn- are the bad ones. carriers like mei tais, baby hawks, ergos are good, as are slings and wraps :)

Even with Ergos and mei tais, don't you risk having the same issues if you have the baby facing out, legs dangling? Apologies if I am missing something.

I think so and I think it is worse because of the hip placement and no structure supporting the baby. I could be wrong. Grey lves the bjorn, I won't use it for hours on end but he gets fussy when he is facing me all the time, he is just so curious!

I don't think you physically can put a baby facing out in an Ergo... I tried to do it with the Emperor a few times even though it's not recommended and either he or it was shaped wrong.

I wore him facing out in a woven wrap sometimes and he loved it but I hated it. Super uncomfortable for me, and also it meant that when he spit up every 10 minutes or so, he'd just vomit onto the sidewalk or wherever. Gross.

When I took a babywearing class to learn about the different kinds of carriers and try them on, the instructor did not recommend doing facing out carries (or baby bjorns). She said to turn to the side often so baby has a view of what is going on but is not overstimulated. Also back and hip carries give baby more of a view.

Of course, I have not had a chance to try any of this advice on a real baby yet, so who knows.

So, I am not saying that the info on that site is wrong, but if you look at the baby bjorn site they have info saying they are fine to wear. I guess I think it would all have more credibility if the studies were done by unbiased groups instead of info on the brands website.

So I've had the KoalaKin for a week or so, and I promised to report back on it. So far I'm definitely glad I bought it, with caveats.

Basically, it's like an unholy crossing of a ring sling and an ergo. It's a soft sided carrier that holds the baby sideways. You put on a vest, clip the bottom ends of the sling part to you, position the baby, and then attach one more clip to a shoulder strap on the opposite side of where you want to nurse. So mostly it's a cinch to put on, the only tough part is fastening the shoulder clip with one hand while you hold the baby. For me, it's not totally hands-free while nursing, because even with the straps in their tightest places the baby is held a little too low. Maybe for bustier ladies it would work a little better? (Other factors could be that I was on the border between the small and large sizes and ordered up) However, if I lift up the head end a little bit by placing it in the crook of my arm, I can walk around, do stuff with my other arm, or sit down and prop her head up a little with my knee while doing other stuff with my arms.

After she's done nursing, Vi conks out in it and then i can carry her around hands-free and do some light housework while she sleeps. I've managed a few successful sling to independent nap transfers, and it's nice that the baby holding part can be unclipped for a stealthy geataway. Carrying her in the sling seems to calm her into napping.

Further caveats: While mostly it feels very secure, after a few days the straps do loosen, and I find myself needing to pull them tighter. (This is very easy, but I don't feel like it's *quite* as secure as an ergo or correctly wrapped moby) Unless you're wearing nursing clothes, you'll be pulling up your shirt and exposing more flesh than you would nursing sitting down. For that reason, I consider the Koalakin very much an at-home accessory. When I read their caution not to clock your baby against doorways I thought that was silly, but it really does make you feel *very wide*. Also, this is a caveat w/ every carrier I've tried, but it's hard to get much done with a baby hanging out in front of you. My arms aren't wide enough!! Plus the kitchen starts to seem like a very dangerous place.

So those are the main drawbacks. It doesn't really replace my Ergo, but I wish I'd had the KoalaKin 3 months ago when she was born. It adds some nice mobility to nursing and allows you to get up and get stuff done while your baby sleeps if she doesn't take well to being put down for naps. If you can nurse with a regular carrier that might be more versatile, but I've been a complete failure at this, so the Koalakin makes it nice and foolproof. You probably won't find yourself wearing it outside the house, but it will make you feel a LOT less tied to the couch.

Carriers like the ergo and boba give the child a lot more support and keep their hips and legs at a more comfortable angle.

I've always been told that a boba/ergo vs. bjorn is like sitting on a swing the normal way vs. sitting on it sideways with one leg on each side. Which would be more comfortable for a long period of time?

There was a great picture going around fb a while ago with a picture of a baby in an ergo and one in a bjorn. The babe in the ergo looked very nicely supported while the bjorn babe looked like he was barely hanging on. When you see them side by side, you really can see a difference.

I made my own wrap (just like a Moby, only cheaper)! 5-6 yards by 20-40" of jersey cotton (mine is 5 yards x 20", but I started with 6 yards). It's great for the first 9-12 months for me. And then I switch to a sling (I got mine from sleepingbaby.net ) once my baby gets bigger. I cannot get the hang of a n00b in a sling (and Beetroot would wiggle wiggle wiggle out of the sling when he was little anyway!!)!

I used a Baby Bjorn with Beetroot for a bit when he was little and it was nice and easy, but it is not very ergonomic for me with older bigger babies! I pretty much just used the wrap and sling with Raygold because they take up less space when I'm not using them.

I also have a podegi that my friend from Korea sent me, but I cannot get it wrapped where I feel the baby is securely in there. I would love to try a Mei Tai. I need to find someone who wants to swap! ;p

I don't have a car and don't use a stroller (they are too fiddly for me and take up too much space on the dinky country bus anyway), so I use carriers every time I go out.

Oh, and that photo of the peanut shell...if you ask me, the baby is hanging way too low in that. Have you guys seen those bag-slings that got banned? They were kind of like folding your baby in half and sticking them in a purse!

Does anyone have the adjustable peanut shell sling? We just got it and I know I'm probably committing a cardinal sin by trying to figure out how to use it with a big belly in the way but I feel like I'm doing something wrong. Poor Tickle Me Elmo (my current stand-in for the guinepiglet) looks like he's suffocating. Again, I probably shouldn't be trying to play around with it with a big belly in the way but I thought I'd see how others liked there's.

Check out the 'Using Your Sling' section of http://www.sleepingbaby.net -- that site has a TON of information on how to wear a baby in a sling -- probably the best source of sling-related info I've found on the web. I could never get the hang of the newborn-carry in a sling, though. My kids were so tiny, I couldn't get them in there without having them hunching/curling up/neck-to-chest, which is dangerous (suffocation risk!), so I just did the tummy-to-tummy/cuddle hold.

I'm really interested in the Japanese baby carriers I see all the women using here but I don't know where they get them! They can be carried on the front or back and the straps looks really padded and comfortable. They come in a lot of different patterns. There is a flap sort of thing for their head that you can put up or down if they are sleeping and need the support. They look a lot like the Ergo.

I already have 2 baby carriers though... :(

She's actually sleeping in her sleepy wrap right now. They changed their company name recently, it's Boba now.

Does anyone have the adjustable peanut shell sling? We just got it and I know I'm probably committing a cardinal sin by trying to figure out how to use it with a big belly in the way but I feel like I'm doing something wrong. Poor Tickle Me Elmo (my current stand-in for the guinepiglet) looks like he's suffocating. Again, I probably shouldn't be trying to play around with it with a big belly in the way but I thought I'd see how others liked there's.

I know LB has one and liked it and I've seen other pregnant women who swear by it.

I bought mine and tried it on while very pregnant, and there wasn't much room either. But seeing Leela and how far down my tummy has gone (I only look about 5 months preg) she should fit. If we get to go home today, I will try and put her in.

Sending you good luck for your exams and hopefully a Guineapiglet touchdown after Thursday night!

_________________My oven is bigger on the inside, and it produces lots of wibbly wobbly, cake wakey... stuff. - The PoopieB.

Anyone used the Everywear Carrier? They have it on zuilily today. Grey is already outgrowing his bjorn and I would like something with a front face option that is safe (does that exist?) he used to love the sleepy wrap but now he gets fussy when he can't face forward.

Does anyone have the adjustable peanut shell sling? We just got it and I know I'm probably committing a cardinal sin by trying to figure out how to use it with a big belly in the way but I feel like I'm doing something wrong. Poor Tickle Me Elmo (my current stand-in for the guinepiglet) looks like he's suffocating. Again, I probably shouldn't be trying to play around with it with a big belly in the way but I thought I'd see how others liked there's.

I didn't have the adjustable one, just the regular one that was fleecy. My neighbor showed me how to use it and you kind of prop the babys head up on the side strap. Grey was like a super baby though and had head control at two weeks and I didn't get the peanut until he was maybe four weeks. I am thinking to try the side hold in it now!